Gaming

With the launch of the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 now underway, the next-gen war between these two gaming powerhouses and Microsoft (producers of the Xbox 360) is now officially on. That should make for some mudslinging in the media and ... ambitious attempts to trump one another in the general gaming realm. However, although the former two systems -- the Wii and PS3 -- are produced by makers who do depend on the success of their consoles, it's surprising to hear Microsoft's Xbox 360 chief Peter Moore tell the media that the software giant (which has its hands in pretty much everything) ... (view more)

It's no secret that the PC gaming market has been losing ground to video game consoles for years. Standalone game systems are significantly cheaper and they're incredibly easy to get up and running -- simply plug and play. Let's face it: playing ... games on a computer can be a pain. Addled users who just want to twiddle their joysticks for a couple of hours (or tap on their keyboard and mouse, as the case may be) suddenly have to worry about whether they have the right graphics card and sound chip, enough speed and memory, or any other number of frustrating variables. Perhaps that is what PC ... (view more)

This is the week die-hard video game aficionados have been waiting for all year. Within a 48 hour time span, both Sony and Nintendo are going to launch their heavy hitters in the next generation console war. First up is Sony's PlayStation 3, which ... will debut at the first strike of midnight on November 17th. Unfortunately, most of us probably won't be walking away with a system, as only 400,000 units are set to ship to North America for the big launch day. Even those who preordered a PS3 aren't guaranteed to get one come the 17th. Two days later, on November 19th, Nintendo will officially ... (view more)

Rockstar Games has done it again! The company behind the controversial Grand Theft Auto titles has broken new ground with its latest PlayStation 2 release, "Bully." In the game, you play a 15-year-old boy named Jimmy, who lives in a stuffy boarding ... school. Just for the record, your character is not a bully -- as the title of the game might mislead you into believing. Instead, you stand up to the big, bad troublemakers throughout the course of the game. Indeed, getting into fights and dealing with cliques are synonymous with most school experiences -- and they're both represented in Bully. But ... (view more)

According to reports, Microsoft has posted some very impressive profits for the first quarter of its fiscal year. This period, ending September 30, saw earnings that were generally higher than most expectations expressed by the company, a surprise ... considering the fact that Microsoft's most anticipated product, the operating system Vista, is yet to even be released. The official terminology for said earnings place the profits at the "high end of expectations". The reasoning behind such a bountiful windfall appears to be the success of both the Xbox 360 console and Microsoft's SQL Server 2005. ... (view more)

If you've ever seen a picture of Lord of the Rings and King Kong director Peter Jackson, you know that he's a big man with messy hair and a bushy, scruffy beard and mustache. It's kind of hard to picture someone of that description standing in the ... same room with Bill Gates: the essence of corporate tidiness. But in the business world, the only appearances that matter are the color of the cash being handed out, the size of the numbers on them, and how thick the wad is. Therefore, it's not too surprising that Jackson and Microsoft have come together in a Kong-sized deal to form a major video ... (view more)

Which tech war is currently the most heated? Is it the fierce battle between Sony and Microsoft over the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 respectively? Or is it the violent clash between the two new DVD formats, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD? A new development ... threatens to fuse both issues together, turning two raging firestorms into one giant explosion. Just recently, Microsoft announced its plans to introduce an HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360. This is obviously a direct response to Sony's PS3, which also doubles as a next-generation Blu-Ray DVD player, straight out of the box. Japan will get first crack at ... (view more)

After months of unhappy gamers reporting problems with their beloved Xbox 360 consoles, Microsoft has finally acknowledged some defects and has taken a stride to remedy the situation. In a statement issued last Thursday, Microsoft is offering free ... repairs to anyone whose Xbox 360 was manufactured before January 1st, 2006 and will provide refunds to those who have already paid for repairs. Some reported problems include consoles that suddenly cease for no apparent reason, as well as systems that develop blank displays. (Source: mercurynews.com ) The following is an excerpt from Microsoft's ... (view more)

Weren't The Xbox Murders enough? Just when you thought it was safe to pick up a controller again, there's been another suspected video game related fatality -- and I'm not talking about the kind found in Mortal Kombat. A 17-month old baby girl, ... Alayiah, was fatally wounded after her father allegedly beat her for pulling on the cords of his game system. "My baby is gone at the hands of her father," the child's mother, Mia Turman, said in tears. The father, 25-year-old North Philadelphia native Tyrone Spellman, was arrested and charged with "murder, endangering the welfare of a child, and ... (view more)

Can video games be used as an instrument of peace? Serious Games Interactive and ImpactGames hope so. They are the respective companies behind two upcoming games about the Middle East conflict, namely, "Global Conflicts: Palestine" and "PeaceMaker." ... At the very least, both titles are designed to be learning tools. From the official Global Conflict: Palestine website: "The Middle East is far away. This is your chance to get closer. Play a young journalist that has just arrived in Israel, and shape the region's future in a peaceful direction. You must complete your assignment at all cost ... (view more)